Lucigem applications

At Lucigem we stand by the quality of our product.

Our novel nanoscale probes help researchers in medical and life-sciences who want to see new biology. We make this possible with bright and photostable nano-particle probes which provide long-lived stable fluorescence.

type of application

Imaging and life science research

Our products are photostable free of blinking and bleaching. Our nanodiamonds are small enough for nanoscale imaging and detection applications including in-vivo imaging or as superior contrast agents in MRI. Nanorubies exhibit sharp emission spectra and long luminescence lifetime, ideally suited for so-called ‘rare-event’ detection, particularly in biological fluids which exhibit high background luminescence. Lucigem’s nanoparticles are tailored for superior sensitivity and high resolution for imaging and assaying applications.

Therapeutics/biomedical

Nanodiamond and nanoruby particles have excellent biocompatibility compared to others. Low toxicity and readily modifiable surfaces have great potential use in therapeutic and medical applications including gene delivery, drug delivery, cancer therapy, ocular disorder treatments, bone healing and tissue engineering. There is also potential for immunogenicity, for example towards the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Biotechnology/bioanalytical

Monodisperse crystals of nanoscale diamonds and rubies have extremely high surface-to-volume ratio and exhibit highly adsorptive behaviour. This is ideally suited for various bioanalytical and biotechnology related applications ranging from protein purification to proteomics.

Quantum technologies

Nanodiamonds host fluorescent lattice impurities called colour centres. Colour centres such as nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres are the only known solid-state quantum system that functions at room temperature, allowing it to be used for applications in advanced information processing and cryptography, as well as for quantum-based, high-resolution sensing (e.g. nanoscale magnetometry, thermometry etc.).

Sensing at nano and macro scales

Advanced material and quantum spin properties of our nanodiamonds allow them to be used as nanosensors inside and outside living cells. Employing nanodiamonds for nanoscale sensing applications allows detection of magnetic field and temperature variations with high sensitivity and resolution. Robust luminescence of nanoruby that is independent of environmental factors means they are ideal as standards during remote measurements of macroscopic properties such as temperature and pH.

Advanced polymers

Nanodiamonds, in combination with biocompatible/biodegradable polymers, have also been used to build advanced biomaterials with desired properties. Such advanced biomaterials have been successfully used as bone and dental implants.

Environmental

Nanodiamonds have also been used for electrochemical purification of water by improving the efficiency of the electrodes. Diamond nanoparticles, under specific conditions, can also be used to capture greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.

Lucigem products

Our products include a range of fluorescent nanodiamonds and phosphorescent nanorubies. Applications include: